Biology and Management of the Corn Flea Battle in Iowa Field Corn: Thoughts for 2001

Com flea beetle populations this past spring were unusually large throughout central and southern Iowa. It was not uncommon to find 5-10 beetles chewing on seedling com that had just emerged from the soil. This insect can physically damage seedling com by chewing long lesions in the leaves that may cause injured leaves to tum brown and die. Also, the insect can transmit Stewart\u27s disease, also called Stewart\u27s wilt. This article discusses what is known about the biology of the insect, its relationship to the disease, and management options